help with wt form mouth.

[tem]

this is only my 6th mount i ever done. i finished it back in 2-2010. a couple of weeks ago the mouth opened up kinda slowly. it open up about 1/8 to 1/4 inch. I'm thinking i cut to deep across the with of it. i used a razor blade to make the slit on the mouth. so as the mouth dried it puled the mouth open. a couple of feet away it looks like hes just starten to open his mouth. till you get close. then you can see in his mouth. not deep. just a little.  so should i take the cape off and dry again? and how would i keep the mouth closed? with screws and some kind of glue? or should i try to paint in side the mouth so it looks like in side the mouth? sorry no pictures. no camera. this is my deer so i can experiment on it. lol. any advice would be greatly help full. thank you all for all your help and advice. marc.

[HAPP Mark S.]

dampen the area to rehydrate it. Wrap a wet towel to the area. When things are pliable, mix up a small amount of epoxie glue and place the mouth as needed. Pin if needed. Refinish.
Some use super glue, but it does crystalize and may not hold.

[Crossway]

Another way instead of rehydrating is take white apoxie sculpt, mix a bit of brown paint (I use acyrlic) to tint it to match the mouth area. Dip your fingers in water and kneed it to make it soft. Then apply in the pulled areas. You can use a small wire brush or tooth brush to create a pattern that will blend with the hair. Airbrush to match rest of that area. I use this method just behind the eyes when my stupid hands don't listen to what I want them to do and I accidently cut a hole :/  Make sure you thin the lip skin well and get enough hide paste in the lip slot before tucking. I've been using the dremel drum sander to thin the lip skin. Seems to work very well for me. Less holes than a skife for me.

[Matt]

One thing to add, when you are all done tucking the mouth and making adjustments, pull some skin from the throat forward towards the lipline. We all have a tendency to push everything to the throat. I do the same around the eyes as well.

[tem]

happ.will just pins hold the manikin mouth closed or should i use screws and leave them? crossway. will it look like he has something in his mouth or make it look like he has big lips. its 1/8 to 1/4 inch open? matt. i will pull skin from every ware to help it. i never saw nothing like this before. coarse iv only done six of em. thank you guys.

[Crossway]

When you cut the lipline for tucking, are you going in sideways?  You should be making the slit vertically into the upper lip. I don't think pins will hold it. I thought you were dealing with skin pulling out of the slot. Do you flesh/shave/thin that chin well? (Be careful to not cut the whisker hair folicles though) The apoxie sculpt would camoflage your trouble if you paint it correctly. Without photos, Its difficult tosay for sure. Shove some leaves in his mouth like he's eating. That would hide it!  Good luck!

[HAPP Mark S.]

I would not use screws!
Pins can be removed after it is totally dry.
Make your slot very thin.
Do as Matt said, "pull some skin from the throat forward towards the lip line."
As I cut the slot, at the front (lower lip area), I cut it straight back so both the upper and lower will hold.
Think about this, if you cut the slot angled UP, the lower lip can pull easier than the upper. If it is cut at a 90 degree, both have more to hold in place.

[mr.T aka mr. friendly]

Cha ching Matt!  Rehydrate, retuck. It wouldnt hurt to over tuck on the next mount.

[tem]

thank you guys. i did flesh/shave/& thin. i stoped when i got to the whisker hair. i did put some leaves in his mouth but no one seemes to like it. they say it looks dorky . well. i think ill try to fill it in and paint it. if that don't work ill take it apart and close the mannikin mouth shut. then do over. thank you all for your advice.

[tem]

it wasn't the lips pulling out. it was the deer mannikin mouth that opened up. mast be some really good glue i used. the lips held put the mouth couldn't . lol. thanks again guys.

[mr.T aka mr. friendly]

If you cut the lip slot to deep, the chin will bow open when the skin dries. Try to taxi extra skin up to the lip area.

[tem]

thanks mr. t. I'm gona try that.